Nearly a year after deadly tornado; some homes remain in shambles

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OKLAHOMA CITY- Hard to believe, but it's been almost a year since devastating tornadoes tore across Oklahoma.

More than a thousand homes in Moore and around 400 in the metro destroyed.

Rebuilding may be taking longer than expected and some neighbors are worried that the delay could cause major problems down the road.

Homeowner Jody Gafford has been feeling a little uneasy about several damaged tornado homes in her neighborhood near Brent and S.W. 148th street.

"One in particular that I was concerned about that was very dilapidated," said Jody Gafford, concerned homeowner. "There seem to be trash inside, outside, and it didn't seem safe."

Gafford was worried that as families begin to move back into the neighborhood, homes left untouched for ten months may pose as a health risk for her family and others.

"Since all three of us have been feeling poorly I thought perhaps I needed to look into environmental issues if perhaps there could be mold or if it was due to a lot of building going on," said Gafford.

NewsChannel 4 looked into the problem and got answers from the City of Oklahoma City.

Spokesperson Kristy Yager said the home doesn't appear to be a health threat. The city spent a lot of time trying to track down the property owners, but learned that the property is now in the hands of a bank.

The new owners recently applied for a building permit and is planning to start the rebuilding process.

"The city is definitely on top of taking care of these things," said Gafford.

If in fact there was a dangerous health risk involved then the health department will send an inspector to check out the problem and decide what kind of action to take next.

For more information on how to file a complaint with the health department please call 405- 427- 8651.